Archie secures spot in 8-man football finals with gritty win over Bishop LeBlond
By Calvin Silvers
It was a frigid afternoon at Eagle Stadium on the campus of Bishop LeBlond, as the 8-man state semifinals showcased a rematch between the Golden Eagles and the visiting Archie Whirlwinds. The Whirlwinds bested LeBlond earlier this season with a decisive 38-14 victory, and while the Golden Eagles stayed competitive through the final minutes of the third quarter, Archie ultimately pulled away for a 46-28 win to punch their ticket to the 8-man state championship.
“You know, I told them when good meets good, somebody does something great,” LeBlond head coach Chuck Davis said. “Today, we didn’t come out on top. Hats off to Archie. They played really hard. They had a good game plan coming in, and they’re well-coached.”
The Golden Eagles’ defense came out swinging on the first drive, forcing the Whirlwinds into an early fourth-and-six at LeBlond’s nine-yard line. Archie quarterback Tristan Leeper called his own number, but Jacob Winklebauer and Trey Icke swarmed him behind the line of scrimmage for a crucial turnover on downs.
LeBlond capitalized on the defensive stand, leaning on their ground game to set the tone. Running back Carson Staggs found his rhythm, eventually breaking loose for a 57-yard touchdown scamper down the right sideline to give the Golden Eagles an early 6-0 lead.
“Yeah, they did a good job of trying to take away our weapons on the outside,” Davis said. “He (Staggs) takes care of it really well. You know, he took a pounding. He’s not very big, so hats off to him for running hard and doing a great job.”
Archie responded near the end of the first quarter. With under two minutes remaining, Leeper kept the ball again, this time bouncing to the right edge to punch it in from a yard out. The Whirlwinds reclaimed the lead, 8-6, heading into the second quarter.
Icke wasn’t just making an impact on defense—he was a force offensively as well. Early in the second quarter, his number was called on a wide receiver screen, and he made the most of it. With open grass ahead, Icke weaved through the defense, breaking past two Archie defenders with back-to-back spin moves to find the end zone. The dazzling play gave the Golden Eagles a 12-8 lead.
Momentum swung further in LeBlond’s favor moments later when a bad snap from Archie allowed Jackson Crews to pounce on the loose ball deep in Whirlwind territory. The Golden Eagles capitalized on the turnover with a highlight-worthy play from quarterback Cooper Tabor. Scrambling to evade the pass rush, Tabor launched a strike to Icke, who made a toe-tapping catch in the end zone to extend the lead to 20-8.
The first half turned into a back-and-forth slugfest, with Archie finding its rhythm offensively. The Whirlwinds clawed their way back with two unanswered touchdowns on the ground, regaining the lead at 24-20 heading into halftime.
“We told them that’s where we want to be,” Davis said. “We knew coming in it was going to be a tight ball game. We laid an egg in the second half the last time we played them, and, you know, our guys didn’t want a repeat of that performance. I thought we came out and played hard.”
LeBlond came out firing in the second half, with Staggs capping off a nearly flawless opening drive with a touchdown run up the middle to reclaim a 28-24 lead. But from the latter part of the third quarter onward, it was all Archie. Quarterback Tristan Leeper showcased his dual-threat abilities, using both his arm and legs to find the end zone and ultimately seal the Golden Eagles’ fate.
“It stings. We had nine seniors, and this was for them, but we got to play on the home field one last time,” Davis said. “I’m just really proud of everybody who stepped on the field today and gave great effort. So, you know, while it stinks to lose, we really battled.”
